Baseball game



Nove 6, 1945.

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Patented Nov. 6, 1945 E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASEBALL GAME George Shenker, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application July 17, 1943, Serial No. 495,135

1 Claim.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus employing a spinning disk for each of the pitcher, catcher, base and field players, each disk being marked with a plurality of concentric circular bands, each band being marked with a plurality of different markings, each of which denotes a specific progression of play, the disks being employed in conjunction with an overlying movable plate having sight apertures which can be moved to overlie all of the innermost bands of the disks, all of the outermost bands of the disks and the inner bands in succession, this movement being made in accordance with the position of a man or men on bases and preceding batting plays which follow a batting play carrying a batter to first base.

The invention will bel described with reference to the accompanying drawings, inV which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the game apparatus.

Figure 2 is a plan view with the cover, i. e., the

l primary and upper plate, removed to expose the disks and the movable plate which is formed with the disk-band sight aperture.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing the spinning disk for first base.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the spinning disk for the batter.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken vertically through the apparatus on the Figure 6 is a plan view showing the spinning disk for the catcher.

Figure 7 is a plan view disk for the pitcher.

Figure 8 is a plan view showing the spinning disk for 2nd base.

Figure 9 is a plan view showing the spinning disk for right field.

Figure 10 is a plan View showing the spinning disk for left field.

Figure 11 is a plan view showing the spinning disk for 3rd base.

Figure 12 is a Yplan view disk for center field.

Referring to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the apparatus consists of a box-like structure which may consist of a lower marginally anged cardboard box member I and an showing the spinning Voverlying flanged cardboard member having a fiat plate-like surface 2. Carried by lower box member I are a plurality of spaced disks of hardwood orthe like, one of these disks being illustratedvat 3, Figure 5, the top of the disk having an inout spinning seat.

The` lower conical end of a spinner 4 lies in showing the spinning the disk may be spun. In Figure 5 the spinning disk may be considered as that of Figure 4 and therefore is designated by the numeral 6, its finger piece being indicated at 1.

The spinning disk arrangement illustrated in Figure 5 is repeated. 'I'here are ten disks for the positions on the primary plate 2 of Figure 1 as indicated by the following numerals each of which indicates an appropriate spinner shaft: batter 1, pitcher 8, catcher 9, first base I0, second base II, third base I2, short stop I3, right field I4, center field I5, and left field I6. The disks themselves are shown as follows: first base 5, Figure 3; batter 6, Figure 4; catcher 2|, Figure 6; pitcher 22, Figure 7; second base 23, Figure 8; right field 24, Figure 9; left field 25, Figure 10; third base 26, Figure 11; center eld 2l, Figure 12. There is an additional disk for short stop as indicated at 21m, Figure 2. Inasmuch as the concentric circles on that disk will be marked substantially the same as disk 22, Figure 7, it has not been illustrated in detail.

The board may conveniently bear the representation of a baseball diamond with its home plate and first, second and third bases, as shown at I1, Figure 1, and colored disks, one color for each team, as shown at I8, Figure 1, may be used in conjunction with the printed diamond as the batters of a given team are moved from one position to another in accordance with the spinning of appropriate disks.

Lying under the front plate or cover is a slide plate I9 containing sight openings or slots for the spinning disks, there being an upper and a lower sight opening, 20 and 23:1: for each spinning disk. The slide plate I9 may be supported in any suitable manner, and inasmuch as it is light in weight it may be supported directly upon the shouldered areas of the spinning heads 4, as shown in Figure 5; The cover 2 is formed with a plurality cf sight openings, one for each spinning disk, to eX- pose the sight openings of plate I9, as indicated at S, Figure 1.

As shown in Figure l, the cover plate is formed near its base or lower end with a slot, indicated at S through which projects a stud carrying a nger button 28, thev stud itself being connected to slide plate I9 as indicated at 283s, Figure 2. Each spinning disk is marked with a plurality of concentric bands, each band being imprinted with markings representing possible plays for various specific conditions, and selected bands may be brought into view through the sight openings of the plate I9 by moving the plate through operation of the thumb button 28. This button bears an arrow and the arrow may be moved into registration with any one of the'following markings on the cover 2: Nobody on; man on-1st; man on 2nd; man on 3rd; man on 1st and 2nd; man on 1st and 3rd; man on 2nd and 3rd;. and bases full.

Four of the spinning disks, to wit, catcher; 2nd base; 3rd base; and 1st base, have fifteen concentric bands equally spaced, and each of the remaining spinning disks have eight con'- centric bands equally spaced.

The fteen concentric bands for the 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base, and catchers spinning disks, are each marked with every possible play which may occur at the respective condition represented by the band, and the bands as a whole represent every possible play which may occui1 in the eight conditions designated on tne cover plate opposite the slot S and finger button 28. Starting from the innermost band, the first eight of the bands are marked with fielding plays while the last eight represent put-out plays.

The slide plate I9 is formed with the two sight openings 20, Zta: at the catcher, 1st base, 2nd hase and 3rd base positions only. The sight openings 2li at these positions represent elding plays with respect to the underlying spinning disks, whereas the sight openings :1: represent pnt-out plays. Plate 19 is formed with only one sight opening, 20, for each of the spinning disks representing the positions of pitcher, short stop, left field, center field, right eld, and batter.

In the playing of the game the players follow through precisely as baseball is actually played on the field.V There will be two opponents, at

least, each representing a team, i. e., a home team and a visiting team. The player representing the visiting team starts the play and when three outs are made, the player representing the home team starts his play, and so on until nine innings are concluded. If, at that time, the teams are tied in score the game will proceed until either one of the teams has scored, completing the extra inning.

The first operation by a player is to rotate the batter spinner. Each spin at this position represents a ball thrown by the pitcher. There being no men on bases, the slide plate will be in the position as indicated in Figures 1 and 2. and the innermost band of the batter spinning disk will be exposed through the appropriate sight opening 20 of cover 2. At the end of the spin, one of the following markings will appear through the sight opening 20: Strike, Ball, Foul; SS meaning short stop; CF meaning center field; RF meaning right field; 1B meaning 1st base; 2B meaning second base; 3B meaning 3rd base; LF meaning left field; P meaning pitcher. By the repeated rotations of the bat-.- ter spinning disk, the disposition of the player can be any one of the following possibilities: He may walk to first base on four pitched balls; he may strike out; he may be hit by the pitcher, or he may hit a ball to any one of the nine positions represented by spinners, to wit, catcher, pitcher, 1st, 2nd and 3rd bases, short stop, and left, center and right fields.

In baseball as it is played, conditions change as men appear on bases and eight bands on the larger disk and all of the bands on the smaller disk represent changes in conditions; namely, when there is no man on first base, when there is a man on lst base, when there is a man on 2nd base, or 3rd base, or when there are men on rst and second bases, or when there are men on 1st and 3rd bases, or when there are men on 2nd and 3rd bases, or when the bases are full.

Ii.' the batter is walked, or if he is hit by a pitched ball, he advances to first base. This advance is recorded on the diamond by placing a marker on 1st base. If the batter has driven a f ball to any one of the nine positions on the field,

the spinner at that position is operated to determine the disposition of the batter. For example,

suppose the batter drives the ball to short stop.

This is followed by rotation of the short stop spinner and the appropriate band will show every possible occurrence. If the markings on the band show safe a marker is placed on the diamond at 1st base, if out is shown the next batter takes his place at bat and there is one out. If the short stop makes an error, indicated by the appearance of E in the slot 2D, the latter has reached 1st base. Every possible play that may arise at short stop is provided for in the numerous subdivisions of the respective concentric circle. The same conditions prevail when a ball is driven to any of the remaining field positions.

Thus whenever the batter drives a ball to any of the field positions, a spin at the appropriate position will determine the disposition of the bat- All of the foregoing applies to a condition of the game where there is absence of men on bases. The aspect of the game of baseball changes entirely when runners appear on the bases. When a runner is on 1st base, a slide I9 is moved by means of the finger button 28 until the arrow registers with man on 1st. This will bring the second innermost band of each spinning disk into registration with the sight openings 20 of the slide plate I9. Every possible condition which may arise for batter, with a man on 1st base, is indicated on said concentric band. If the ball is driven to any of the infields, this is called a fielding play, and, as to all of the spinning disks, the appropriate bands are read through the top sight openings 29. This will direct where the next play is made. Any of these inelders may make an error, catch the ball, or throw to 1st or 2nd bases. Throwing to either 1st or 2nd base will constitute a put-ou play and in this case to determine the next play, the band markings are read through the lower slot 20x. The purpose of the additional eight concentric band markings on the spinning disk for catcher and 1st, 2nd and 3rd bases, is to permit making either a double-play or a triple-play, if the occasion arises.

When a ball is driven to either of the outelds, the slot at these positions may show either an error; out, one base, in which the runner advances one base; two base advance; three base advance, and home run.

Thus every spin of the batters spinner represents a,ball thrown by the pitcher, and direction of each succeeding play is determined by the reading of the appropriate band marking through the slot 20 or 20x, as the case may be. Every spin at any one of the nine positions represents a play at that position. A fielding play at any one of the infield positions means a play at which the ballhas been driven by the batter. A putout play at any of the ineld positions means a play at that position after the ball has been thrown there by any of the iniielders to prevent a runner from advancing to score.

The present game has been designed after tabulating every pitch thrown during a period of five World Series baseball games. In determining appropriate markings for the bands on the spinning disks, the average number of balls pitched per game were determined, together with the average number of hits per game, the average number of errors, and the average number of extra base hits, hit batsmen, balks, batsmen walks, double-plays, triple-plays, etc. per game. By such means the game makes it possible to have any so-called bone-head plays; that is, making a play Where no runner is involved, or make a play to any base to which no runner is advancing.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

A game device simulating baseball situations depending upon base conditions and following the course of the ball from the initial fielding play from batter to any one of the nine opposing players to the responsive put-out play in the case of the three base players and the catcher,

comprising, in combination, a top plate depicting a baseball diamond having nine team positions and a batter position, spinnable dials at each of the said ten positions, the dials at the four fielding positions and the pitcher position having concentric rings depicting elding plays for the said base conditions and the dials at the four base positions having concentric rings depicting both fielding and put-out plays for the said base conditions, the said top plate having parallel elongated slots at the said ten positions exposing radially aligned plays at the plurality of concentric rings of the said spinnable dials, a slidable plate interposed between the said top plate and the said spinnable dials having a single slot at the said four iielding positions and the pitcher position exposing a fielding play depicted on the said elding play concentric rings of the spinnable dials at said ve positions and two slots at the said four base positions, one of the said slots exposing a elding play depicted on the fielding play concentric rings of the spinnable dials at said four positions and the other of said slots exposing a put-out play depicted on the put-out concentric rings of the said four spinnable dials, and manual means for adjusting the said slidable plate in accordance with the prevailing base condition.

GEORGE SI-IEINKER. 

